Fifth Frontier

Episode Nine

11

MAY/17

The free members of the company continue trying to find Capriole, discovering more clues – including a River Rats safe house in the woods just south of the city walls. Ehljayy checks it out alone while the others regroup, then comes back so they can all take a boat there together, on the advice of one of their captives. After a battle in which everyone shows off their growing skills and powers, they find Pike, nearly dead, and decide to rescue him so he can aid their investigation. They also find a coded message intended for the dead drop, but it’s too short to be easily deciphered – Cileth needs more of the code to work it out. They take Pike captive back to the Tower of Waiting.

Meanwhile Capriole languishes in his prison, unconscious. He has a vivid dream in which those dearest to him call him a disappointment. The dream ends as his fiendish patron speaks to him, insisting he take more souls for them; he tries to negotiate, saying he will take more but only the ones he wants. The demon laughs, but agrees, and he wakes in a stone cell, without his arms or armour – or magical orb. He needs something to try and open the door, and reflexively holds out his hand – to find a twisted demonic glaive appears in it. But he is unable to open the heavy steel doors.